AUGUSTINE COVE – The oldest known bridge on P.E.I. is set for replacement.

P.E.I.’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal is getting ready to replace the rather modest Augustine Cove Bridge on Route 10, which covers a small river adjacent to the River Road in that community.

A stamp in the structure’s concrete shows it was built in 1922.

That makes it the oldest bridge on the Island that the province knows about. However, there are some bridges that don't have a recorded start date, said Neil Lawless, bridge engineer with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.

So why replace it now after all these years?

“Well it’s 92 years old,” he chuckled.

“In all honesty, its condition warrants replacement – independent of its age,” said Lawless.

In terms of the structure’s age and any thoughts of saving it as a historical relic, Lawless said there’s no worry in that regard.

The structure has no heritage or historical designation, he said, and as far as the department is concerned it’s just any other bridge in need of replacement.

A public meeting has been scheduled to inform local residents about what the work will entail. It’s expected to be a seven-week project.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. in the Borden-Carleton Industrial Mall Boardroom (167 Industrial Dr.).

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Lawless has scheduled May 20 as a start date and hopes to be done by July 4.